Announcements for the week of November 17, 2024

by | Nov 15, 2024 | Sunday Announcements | 0 comments

QUICK LINKS

  • Sunday Morning Worship – Sundays @ 10:30am; Join Zoom Webinar here
  • Off-Topic Scripture Circle – Mondays @ 10am; Join Zoom Meeting here
  • Morning Café and Discussion – Tuesdays @ 10am;Join Zoom Meeting here
  • Scripture Reader sign up – Click here
  • Usher sign up – Click here (needed 11/17, 11/24 & 12/01)
  • Flowers sign up – Click here
  • Coffee Hour Host sign up – Click here (needed 11/24 & 12/01)
  • Communion Server sign up –Click here
  • Community Kitchen sign up – Click here
  • Online Commitment/Pledge Card – Click here
  • Donate to First United Online – Click here
  • First United YouTube Channel (sermons) – Click here
  • First United Vimeo Channel (full worship services) – Click here

DON’T FORGET

People’s Market

First United houses the People’s Cooperative Market in our Fellowship Hall regularly each Saturday. During the winter season, the market will shift to a more limited schedule for full, live market days while continuing to pack and deliver CSA every Saturday, 10am-2pm. Mark your calendars for their Winter Market dates: November 16th, and December 14th and 21st, 10:00am-2:00pm. The People’s Market is an intersectional anti-racism farmers market and artisan vendor space that focuses on food justice work. All are welcome to attend the Saturday markets and/or order from their online CSA for pickup or delivery; food is always made available to anyone in need. You are also encouraged to consider volunteering with People’s Market; if interested, contact them directly at peoplesmarketmanager@gmail.com.

Harvest Ingathering

While the Board of Outreach regularly invites you to offer food donations on the first Sunday of each month, in November, we encourage you to bring a donation every Sunday leading up to our Annual Harvest Ingathering on Sunday, November 24th. Please bring non-perishable food items anytime and every time you come to our building to help with this critical community need. As always, all of the collected food and cleaning/hygiene items will go to Monroe County United Ministries (MCUM), and pet food will go to Area 10 Agency on Aging. Click here to for a list of MCUM’s ongoing needs. Thank you for your generosity! And, be sure to join us for worship on Sunday, November 17th as Krissy Bechtel joins us to share about the important work MCUM is doing in our community.

Advent Study

Advent is just around the corner with Christmas soon to follow! All are invited to consider the biblical stories regarding the birth of Jesus through a four-week Advent series based on “The Birth of Jesus” by John Shelby Spong. The group will gather in Room 1 each Sunday in December, 9am-9:45am, to discuss the assigned reading for the day. The reading schedule will be forthcoming. Please contact Pastor Jessica by November 18th, if you would like assistance locating a copy of the book or have any questions. A couple of copies will be available through the church for participants interested in sharing a copy with others; contact Pastor Jessica if interested.

Church Office Closed

The church office will be closed for regular hours November 18th-22nd while Lisa Stanger is away. Please contact Pastor Jessica should you need immediate assistance during that time.

Volunteer with Community Kitchen

First United has a long history of volunteering with and financially supporting Community Kitchen of Monroe County. We currently volunteer there on the third Thursday of the month, 3:30pm-6:30pm. Our next shift will be on November 21st. This is a good way to build community within and outside of our church. To volunteer this month or subsequent months, contact Laurie Eynon (leynon73@icloud.com or (812) 336-1219); she will sign you up or put you on the call list, whatever works for you. Thank you!

NEW/UPDATED THIS WEEK

Happy Birthday!

Please remember in your prayers and give thanks for Julian Lammers who will be celebrating his birthday on November 17th. We are blessed to have you in our lives!

Congregant Monday Musings

Members and friends of First United are invited to prepare a “Monday Musing” to be shared with the wider congregation via email on the third Monday of each month. Please contact Pastor Jessica and/or Lisa Stanger if you would like to share your thoughts and ideas through this avenue, and they will help you get it scheduled.

Hanging of the Greens

All are encouraged to join together on Sunday, November 24th, at 3:30pm as we prepare our sanctuary for the Advent and Christmas seasons. We will set up trees, lights, ornaments, battery-operated candles, chandeliers, wreaths, garlands, and more! Kids are most welcome and have proved to have special talents for replacing batteries! After we’re done (about 5:00pm), we’ll gather for a chili pitch-in in Fellowship Hall. Shout out to any chili cooks please bring a batch of chili for the pitch in. Contact Mary Peckham atmkpeckham59@gmail.com.

This is a festive and fun event for our entire intergenerational church family. We hope you’ll join us!

Youth Connections

Youth in grades 6 and up are invited to gather with Pastor Jessica and one another in Room 1 following worship one Sunday each month to consider your questions, big and small, and explore faith matters as they are relevant to your life. Our next meeting day is next Sunday, November 24th, 12pm-1pm.

Pizza & Play

Members and friends of First United of all ages and family configurations (and your friends and family) are encouraged to gather for Pizza & Play on Friday, December 6th, 5:30pm-7:30pm. We’ll enjoy a time of informal, unprogrammed fun and fellowship in Fellowship Hall and surrounding areas, both inside and out (weather permitting). As the name implies, pizza, drinks, and dessert will be provided. If you’re planning to attend, please let Pastor Jessica know by Thursday, December 5th so she can be sure to have enough food for all and account for any dietary needs.

UPCOMING WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Sunday Morning Hybrid Worship

Join us for worship each Sunday morning at 10:30am. This Sunday’s service will feature guest speaker Vickey Allen (Member in Discernment with the Southern New England Conference of the UCC) in the pulpit; she will also offer a special message for the young and young at heart. Michael Shell will present the day’s scripture and serve as our congregational lead. Additionally, Mitchell Farmer will highlight some of the many ways we are invited to engage in the life of the church and our wider community. Eric Meincke and Hansol Kim will lead us in song, and the First United Vocal Choir will offer special music. Keith Gerber and Dave Meyer will offer a warm welcome to those who will gather in the sanctuary; sign up here to help. And, Kyle Hetrick and Jim True will welcome all who join via Zoom as they ensure the audio/visual pieces run as smoothly as possible. Siri Loescher will provide a beautiful floral arrangement in loving memory of Aase and Sam Loescher. Finally, be sure to join us in Fellowship Hall after worship for a time of fellowship and refreshment hosted by Dave Meyer and Cindy Neidhart.

Join the Zoom Webinar by clicking here

Dial-in number: (312) 626-6799; Webinar ID: 828 3681 0281

The service will be posted on Monday afternoon on First United’s Vimeo channel (where you can access all of our previous worship services).

Donate online by clicking here

Join Our Church Choirs!

All those who are musically inclined are invited to join First United’s Bell and Vocal Choirs. The Bell Choir rehearses weekly on Thursdays in Roger Williams Hall from 6:15-7:15pm (NO rehearsal on November 14th), and the Vocal Choir rehearses weekly on Thursdays from 7:30-9:00pm in the Choir Room (NO rehearsal on November 14th). If you are interested in joining either or both choirs, please reach out to Eric Meincke (ericdmeincke@gmail.com). Hansol Kim can also answer questions about joining the Bell Choir (mitsol919@gmail.com). No prior experience is required to join either group! If you love music and want a way to express that love through fellowship, the First United Church Music Ministry is the place for you!

COMMUNITY CARE

Keeping Up with Our Congregation

One of the gifts of being part of a community of faith is that we don’t face the ups and downs and middles of life alone. We invite you to share what is going on in your lives by contacting Lisa Stanger and/or Pastor Jessica so we can appropriately share information (with your permission) with our wider community of care that we might offer our support whatever you may be facing.

You are encouraged to offer your prayers and actions of support for:

Jerry Barker (Jen Lane’s mother)

Jameson Poorman (Jen Lane’s nephew)

Rachel Workman

Anne Wright (Mary Peckham’s sister)

Sam Troxal

Danielle Sheets Ivey (Sara Ivey Lucas’s sister-in-law)

Christopher Meincke (Eric’s brother)

Finals Week Study Hall—Volunteers Needed

The end of the semester is rapidly approaching! This December First United will be hosting a study hall space (in Roger Williams Hall) for students in the area. The study hall will run Thursday, December 12th–Wednesday, December 18th (except for Sunday), 2pm-8pm. The Board of Education is seeking volunteers to monitor the space during these times. If you are interested in assisting with this study hall, please contact Megan Merrick (mvmverric@iu.edu).

Support Refugees

Our Displaced Immigrant Support Program (DISP) needs your help and is seeking volunteers so that we can help additional refugees. We are currently working most actively with a Syrian family that speaks Arabic. DISP is also partnering more with the Bloomington Refugee Support Network (RSN). This allows for future volunteers to more easily participate in “one-off” activities such as driving a refugee to/from an appointment without making a longer-term commitment. Can you help? Please contact Dave Meyer at dave@davemeyer.org for further information.

First United Covenant Groups

Are you looking for a space where you can connect with others from First United? Your Member Relations Committee (MeRC) invites you to join one of First United’s four Covenant Groups: Journaling; Faith, Food, and Fellowship; LGBTQ+ Fellowship Group; and In-House Projects. These groups of 8-10 people meet in homes or in the wider community. Learn more here (includes descriptions of groups, start dates name and contact information of hosts). Please email hosts to ask questions and/or let them know you’d like to participate.

Hurricane Relief

The impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton is widespread and devastating. Our siblings in the United Church of Christ and American Baptist Churches-USA have experienced this devastation; they and the wider communities of which they are a part are in need of our assistance as they begin the long road of recovery. Both the UCC and ABC-USA have a long history of supporting communities as they recover from disaster well after their plight fades from the headlines. As we continue to pray for and respond to those who have experienced unimaginable loss this past week, please consider a gift through the Hurricane Helene Recovery Appeal (UCC) or the American Baptist Home Missions Society relief fund (ABC-USA). Your gifts matter. This is something you can do to help alleviate suffering, rebuild homes, and restore communities. Your gifts will make a difference to those who are struggling during these difficult times and enable needed assistance as we stand with impacted communities in the years ahead. Thank you for your generosity.

The Joy of Hosting

Our Member Relations Committee continues to offer support to weekly coffee hour hosts and encourage everyone to sign up to host—it’s easy, fun, and a great way to serve your church family with a one-time commitment. Sign up as buddies or families, invite someone you’ve been wanting to get to know, use the occasion to showcase a family recipe or try out a new one. Sign up to host by clicking here.

EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS 

Off-Topic Scripture Circle

You are invited to join members and friends of First United via Zoom (click here) each Monday morning at 10am to check in and explore the week’s lectionary scripture readings in a casual setting where you will never be asked to leave your brain or your heart at the door.

Tuesday Morning Café and Discussion

Join us in Roger Williams Hall or via Zoom (click here) Tuesdays at 10am-11:30am as we gather for a time of informal conversation followed by thought-provoking theological study and discussion. We recently began a new 24-sesson study: “Jesus and His Jewish Influences” presented by Jodi Magness. Follow an acclaimed archaeologist to unearth the roots of Jesus’s actions and teachings within the traditions of early Judaism. This fascinating course approaches the subject from a historical, rather than scriptural, perspective; one rooted in ancient texts and archaeological discoveries. Discover hidden insights into how the tumultuous events of Jewish history shaped an individual whose legacy endures to this day. Learn more about the series here. Previous participation and perfect attendance are not required.

Children’s Learning Time

Each Sunday morning, children in kindergarten and up will begin in the Sanctuary with their families and proceed to Room 2 with their adult leads for Children’s Learning Time (CLT) following the Children’s Time. Many thanks to Sandra Meder and Noel Koontz for leading CLT this Sunday.

You are invited to consider whether you might be able to join our teaching rotation to enrich the program for the kids and gain so much from the experience yourself! Lesson materials and supplies are provided, and we have seasoned leaders to help get newer volunteers acclimated. If you are interested or have questions, please reach out to Megan Merrick, Pastor Jessica, or any member of the Board of Education.

Nursery Care

Our youngest children are welcome to spend time from 10am-11:45am playing in the nursery or on the playground, weather permitting. Brishna Arman and Jessica McIntosh will ensure our little ones are safe and engaged in fun activities during worship this Sunday. We are always looking for additional volunteer assistants to help in the nursery occasionally. Contact Jessica McIntosh if you are interested and with any questions.

CONGREGATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

First United Is on Instagram and YouTube

First United is now active on Instagram and YouTube! You are encouraged to check out both these online offerings: Instagram (firstuc2420) and YouTube (@FirstUCBtown). Share them with your wider circles as we share more broadly our open, welcoming, and affirming message of Progressive Christianity and invite more folks into the impactful ministry of First United.

Announcements Deadline

If you would like an announcement included in next week’s church email, please have your item to Lisa Stanger by noon on the Wednesday before.

2024 Offering Envelopes and Direct Deposit

Offering envelope boxes are available in the church office. Whether you’ve used them before or this is your first time, you are welcome to pick up a box! Alternatively, if you would like to give to the church through direct deposit, please contact Lisa in the office to make sure she knows you would like to give in this convenient way and has your updated information.

Contact Information

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